American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 18, 294-300, Copyright © 1966 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Zinc and Copper Concentrations in Hair of Iranian Villagers

¹ From the Department of Biochemistry, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, and the Department of Biochemistry, Pahlavi University, Shiraz, Iran

Zinc, copper and nitrogen concentrations were measured in washed scalp hair of residents of villages in the vicinity of Shiraz, a region in which the occurrence of zinc deficiency has been suspected. Village diets consisted predominantly of flat bread prepared from cereal grains grown locally. Similar measurements were made of hair from a group of control subjects living in the city of Shiraz whose diet was diversified and abundant. Zinc concentrations in hair of the villagers were significantly lower than those of the control subjects, whereas copper and nitrogen concentrations did not differ between the two groups. The lowest zinc concentrations occurred in village women. Hair dyes and exposure to oxidants were ruled out as a cause of the low concentrations. The results of the study provide evidence that concentrations of zinc in a human tissue may be depleted, presumably as a result of limited intake and possibly increased losses of zinc. The results support the likelihood that zinc is available in suboptimal amounts in the Iranian village locale.

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